The present invention relates to a computer method and recording medium for executing games using a pressure-sensitive controller.
The so-called golf games, in the context of computer games, are games wherein one or more opponent players controlled by the CPU and a player character controlled by the player playing golf one after another upon a course generated within the screen of the computer. When the player uses a controller to manipulate the player character that the player controls, the character in question hits the ball with a club.
In order to create the magnitude of the hit, a circular gage is displayed and when the player pushes a button, the gage is colored in with a stipulated color at a stipulated ratio of the length and when the button is pushed by the player next, the character that the player controls hits the ball with an amount of force which depends on the ratio of the length of the colored portion to the entire length of the gage.
In the games that include this type of hitting actions, the hitting force or power is controlled by a combination of a button pushing action and some display. It is noted that there are also many games that do not control the hitting power, but rather make it constant.
Examples of games that include hitting include: pinball games (hitting the balls), pachinko games (hitting the pachinko balls), soccer games (hitting the soccer ball), baseball (hitting in batting), volleyball (hitting the volleyball) and tennis (hitting the tennis ball).
In addition, even if they do not involve hitting, there are also other games that require power such as fishing in which power is required to cast one""s lure far away, for the throw-ins done in soccer games, and for shots made in basketball games, and the like.
As shown in FIG. 6A, in a golf game, the bar of the gage G extends as long as the button is pushed and when the button is released and pushed again, the player character Pc controlled by the player hits the ball Ba with the club C1 at a strength depending on the length of the bar of the gage G, and then the ball flies in the direction of the hole H.
As shown in FIG. 6B, a baseball game involves the player character Pc controlled by the player using a bat Bt to hit the ball Ba thrown by the pitcher Ec of the opposing team.
As shown in FIG. 6C, a volleyball game involves the player character Pc controlled by the player hitting a ball Ba, thus spiking the ball at the court where the characters Ec on the opposing team are.
As shown in FIG. 6D, a pachinko game involves using player operation to hit pachinko balls toward the pachinko machine.
As shown in FIG. 7A, a horseracing game involves having the player character Pc specified by the player race against other enemy characters Ec controlled by the CPU. Note that in conventional horseracing games, the racing is performed automatically, with the user participating by raising or specifying the horses.
As shown in FIG. 7B, a basketball game involves having the player character Pc throw the ball Ba toward the goal Na at the timing of the player pushing the button. As shown in FIG. 7C, a skiing game involves having the player character Pc jump from a ski jump Ja at the timing of the player pushing the button.
As specific examples, a golf game is disclosed in the publication of unexamined Japanese patent application No. JP-A-H10-063877, a volleyball game is disclosed in JP-A-H10-30517, a basketball game is disclosed in JP-A-H7-222865, a baseball game is disclosed in JP-A-H7-163755, an Olympic throwing event game is disclosed in JP-A-H10-52572, a horseracing game is disclosed in JP-A-H10-165644, a pachinko game is disclosed in JP-A-H10-165651, a soccer game is disclosed in JP-A-H10-201957 and a skiing game is disclosed in JP-A-H11-151381.
On the other hand, so-called pressure-sensitive type controllers are used as input devices for computers, and as input devices for entertainment systems represented by game machines, for example. The pressure-sensitive controller is a unit wherein, when pressure is applied with a finger of a user directly to a control element connected to a pressure-sensitive device in the controller the pushing pressure of the user is provided as an output as a pressure-sensing value. A specific example thereof is, for example, the disclosure in Japanese patent No. 2524475 of causing a character to jump in response to a pressure-sensing output.
In addition, a pressure-sensitive type controller is disclosed in the publication of examined Japanese utility model application No. JP-B-H1-40545, wherein pressure-sensitive output is provided as input to a VCO (variable control oscillator) and the output of the VCO is used for repeated fire in a game.
It is an object of the present invention to make an adjustment of hitting power or the like by pushing or continuous pushing of a simple ON/OFF switch by a user into an easier-to-use interface for users.
This and other objects of the present invention are attained by a recording medium on which is recorded a computer-readable and executable game software program that includes an element of applying force that acts on objects, which includes a program that performs processing by taking as instructions an output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means, wherein the software program includes a processing program that applies force that acts on objects depending on the output of the controller.
A computer according to the present invention which is able to execute a game program wherein characters perform stipulated actions by taking as instructions on output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means, comprises said controller; means for sensing a pushing pressure of a user by the pressure-sensitive means and generating a pressure-sensing output corresponding to the pushing pressure, means for comparing the point in time at which the maximum value of said pressure-sensing signal was generated with a standard timing for said stipulated actions determined in advance in the game program, and generating a time differential; and means for evaluating said stipulated action that said character had performed from the maximum value of the pressure-sensing signal and the time differential.
A computer according to the present invention which is able to execute a game program wherein characters perform stipulated actions by taking as instructions an output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means, comprises means for sensing the pushing pressure of a user by the pressure-sensitive means and generating a pressure-sensing output corresponding to the pushing pressure, means for comparing a setting position of a character, depending on the pressure-sensing signal with a current position parameter of said character determined in advance in said game program, and determining the advance position of the character, and means for advancing the character to the advance position.
A method, using a computer, according to the present invention, which is able to execute a game program wherein characters perform stipulated actions by taking as instructions an output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means, comprises the steps of: sensing a pushing pressure of a user by the pressure-sensitive means and generating a pressure-sensing output corresponding to the pushing pressure, comparing the point in time at which the maximum value of said pressure-sensing signal was generated with a standard timing for said stipulated actions determined in advance in the game program and generating a time differential, and evaluating a stipulated action that a respective character had performed from the maximum value of the pressure-sensing signal and the time differential.
In an embodiment, a method using a computer according to the present invention which is able to execute a game program wherein characters perform stipulated actions by taking as instructions an output from a controller which has pressure-sensitive means, comprises the steps of: sensing a pushing pressure of a user by the pressure-sensitive means and generating a pressure-sensing output corresponding to the pushing pressure, comparing the setting position of a character depending on the pressure-sensing signal with the current position parameter of said character determined in advance in the game program, and determining the advance position of said character, and advancing said character to the advance position.